Shadow in Skyworld
by 23blenders
Summary: Pittoo tries to ambush Pit in the Lunar Sanctum, but ends up getting knocked unconscious and dragged back to Skyworld instead. He begins to question himself and his motives.


"This is really unnerving." Pit decided as he neared the door on the other side of the room. He wasn't exactly afraid of heights, but something about stepping onto _nothing_ and trusting it to hold him up went against the grain. But the mirror told him there actually was a floor, and so far it had proven correct.

"Don't worry, Pit. If you start falling I can activate the power of flight for an instant. That can bring you back up to the path without endangering your wings."

"Well, that's a relief. I wonder what's down there anyway." Pit replied, glancing down into the abyss.

"Oh, just some gears and other things an angel wouldn't want themselves caught up in. I imagine you would find yourself ground into a rather messy paste if you fell." Arlon answered, sounding almost amused at the thought. Pit's pupils shrunk slightly and his eyes widened.

"I don't want to become paste!"

"Well, if you were ground into a paste it would be an angel paste. Perhaps I could fill donuts with it." Palutena mused. Pit stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"No, angel cream donuts are gross. Where do you come up with these ideas, Lady Palutena?"

"Who said anything about angel cream? I said angel paste."

"I was just going along with the joke, Lady Palutena."

"Who said I was joking? Angel wings are good, I'm sure there's something I could make out of ground up angel."

"Perhaps mixed with spices and molded into sausage. Or perhaps made into a stir-fry. I'm sure Lady Viridi would appreciate having the opportunity to sample such a dish."

"Mmm, that does sound good Arlon."

Pit was staring up, his jaw dropped.

"Lady Palutena, whose side are you on?! And that's just plain gross! In fact, everything you've mentioned is gross, from angel cream donuts to angel _paste_ donuts!" he exclaimed.

"Relax, Pit. I was just messing with you."

PIt paused.

"Aw, man! You had me worried about your sanity there for a second. Don't do that to me, Lady Palutena!"

"And I'd serve it with some tea, and put some gravy on it." Arlon continued.

"Ok, dude, that's gross. You can stop now." Pit said, sticking his tongue out. "Anyway, I should get out of here. Don't wanna fall."

"Oh, I may have been slightly untruthful about that, um, _pit_."

"Oh, ha ha. A pit. That's hilarious." Pit said sarcastically as Arlon chuckled at his joke.

"So what's actually down there, Arlon?" Palutena wondered.

"Nothing. A mere floor awaits our grounded angel if he falls. That's not to say he'll survive the drop."

"Look, I'm at the end! I don't need to worry about it anymore!" Pit exclaimed, pointing to his straight shot to the door. He took off, charging the door.

"Open sesame!" he crowed as he approached. Of course, it had sensors and opened in time for him to run through without pausing, and he laughed delightedly before suddenly skidding to a stop right on the other side of the door. It shut behind him as his jaw dropped.

In response to Pit's entrance, the waiting dark figure looked up and flared his wings dramatically with a confident smirk.

"Pittoo?!"

Aaaand that ruined his impressive reveal. Pit could have said 'Dark Pit!' and added to the cool effect, but _nooooo_ he had to announce that his name was the infuriatingly stupid _Pittoo_. You could almost hear Pittoo's-no, no, Dark Pit's! ego deflating as his expression turned to one of annoyance. He may as well have just let out the fart he'd been debating letting loose (just to irritate Arlon's sense of propriety) before Pit had burst in. It would have ruined his pose just the same as Pit just had.

He decided to save face by posing again. There was no way they could miss the awesomeness of this one.

"Seriously, that is the last time I want to hear Pittoo." he announced, making sure to sound really cool.

"Just saying, that was actually pretty cool, Pittoo." Pit said, a disarmingly genuine smile on his face. Dark Pit blanked for several moments.

"I- well- just stop calling me Pittoo!" he spluttered, not sure how to react to being complimented and called Pittoo in the same sentence. This guy was so freaking infuriating!

"Yes, erm- _Pittoo_, that was very dramatic of you." Arlon said, sounding sincere but Dark Pit knew better.

"Oh, shut up."

And with that, he suddenly aimed a shot at Pit, who jumped out of the way at the last second.

"So, Pittoo," Pit said conversationally as he followed up the dodge with a shot of his own. It missed and hit the core. "Are you here to take down the Lunar Sanctum too?"

He suddenly yelled as he was blasted away. That was too powerful for Pittoo's silver bow. Pittoo was confused too, and was glaring at the core.

"You might wanna watch out for that, Pit."

"Pittoo, why would you warn Pit about that?" Palutena wondered. "Aren't you fighting?"

The dark angel gritted his teeth and dashed at Pit ferociously.

"Yes! I just need him intact so I can prove that I'm better than him!" he shouted. "It means nothing if that thing takes him out."

"Back to the young Pit's question, no. I happened across Dark Pit, and let slip that Pit was here at the Lunar Sanctum. The mere mention of Pit's presence was enough to send his twin running."

"Pittoo just isn't happy unless he's fighting someone, is he?" Palutena mused.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Pittoo's jab at Palutena plus his self satisfied smirk made Pit mad for a second.

"You stay out of this!"

"Heh."

They traded several more blows, then Pittoo accidentally hit the core again. He dodged successfully, but the unaware Pit was hit and faceplanted.

It took several moments to get his head to stop spinning, and Pittoo found himself letting Pit get to his feet. He was flustered when he realized what he was doing, but then figured that there wasn't much sport in killing Pit when he was down. No, he'd kill Pit face to face.

Satisfied, he waited until Pit had his bearings to attack again. He made a point of looking bored in the meantime, yawning and looking at his wrist (he didn't know what his wrist had to do with anything, but he felt that doing this would convey impatience for some reason.)

"What are you waiting for, Pittoo?" the light angel asked when he realized that Dark Pit had paused.

"It's not much of a fight if you're on the ground." was the cocky reply. Pit narrowed his eyes and sent a charged shot Pittoo's way. It took him by surprise, then while he was recovering Pit ran by and shot at the core again. This time, the core's retaliation hit Pittoo and stunned him again, leaving him open for a barrage of shots from Pit's bow.

After another shot to the core, it blew up and threw Pittoo away. He wasn't moving.

"Pittoo?" Pit asked, uncertain if this was a ploy. He stalked a little closer, then saw blood pooling under his clone.

"Pittoo! Are you ok?"

He ran over and turned Pittoo over. The red eyes were open and trying to focus on Pit, but he was clearly not doing so well.

"Lady Palutena, he's really hurt!"

"Wasn't that the goal, Pit?" she asked.

"But he's not really my enemy! He helped in the Underworld, remember?"

"Well, yes Pit but he still tried to kill you."

"I know, but I don't think he's really mean. Can't we just bring him home and help him, Lady Palutena?"

There was a few seconds of silence as Palutena thought it over. Since Pit wanted it, she didn't think it was a terrible idea. Risky, but she believed the same. She'd seen his confusion all through the battle, and thought he might be convinced to stop attacking Pit. If so, then he could be saved and it would make Pit happy.

"Alright. Step back, I'll beam him back here to Skyworld. Then you keep going and take down the Lunar Sanctum."

Pit backed up and watched the other angel get beamed up. Then he continued through the sanctum, with somewhat less chatter in his ears as Palutena was busy tending to her new charge.

"Well, looks like he'll be stuck with us for a few weeks, Pit. His wings are broken." she commented at one point.

"Aw, that sucks. Not even the power of flight will help him like that, it'll hurt too much! But he's ok otherwise, right?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, he'll be fine."

When Pit returned triumphantly, he immediately ran to find Palutena. She was still tending to Dark Pit's injuries, and Pit eagerly helped her. Later, they set him in a bed in the room right next to Pit's. Pit vowed to watch over him and take care of him when he woke up. To that end, he sat in a chair next to the bed all day.

He had to retire to his own room to sleep, but he came back the next day and was there when the dark angel began to stir.

The first thing Dark Pit noticed was that he was comfortable. His head hurt, and a lot of him ached but he was lying comfortably on something soft. He'd never slept on anything nice before, so he was just confused. He groaned and stretched a little, opening his eyes.

He screamed. Not two inches from his eyes was a pair of wider blue ones. Pit screamed back for solidarity.

"What the- who the- _Pit?_" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah! We brought you home to Skyworld!" Pit announced enthusiastically.

"You kidnapped me?!"

"What? No, we're helping you Pittoo!"

"Don't call me that!"

"But it's your name!"

He tried to sit up, but his head started spinning and he had to lie back down.

"Hey, take it easy. You got a nasty beating, you know."

"Yeah. I wonder whose fault that is." he said sarcastically.

"Well if you hadn't attacked me... Anyway. You hungry?"

Pittoo sat there for a few seconds, thinking about this when his stomach growled. Truthfully, he'd never really been that well fed in the first place.

"I'll take that as a yes." Pit said cheerfully. He bounced out of the room before his twin could say anything, then returned with something that made Dark Pit's mouth water despite his attempts to seem like he didn't need anything from Pit or his goddess.

"Lady Palutena said soup would be best for you right now. So I brought you some."

Pittoo's eyes were round as they took in the bowl and his nose was teased with a wonderful aroma.

"Wow, you really look hungry. You need help sitting up?" Pit asked. Pittoo snapped out of his hungry daze.

"Of course I'm hungry, dimwit. I haven't eaten in forever." he snarled, not responding to the query about needing help. He did, but he didn't want to ask.

And of course, Pit helped him anyway, then had to hold the bowl for him while he slowly emptied it.

A full stomach brought about an improved mood, and after he was done he considered his original. Pit had been nothing but cheerful and nice to him, and he was not sure how to take this. He also knew nothing of Palutena's motives, even though he knew in his gut that Pit wanted nothing more than to help him.

Despite Pit's chattering, he couldn't bring himself to talk back. He was still in a state of disbelief, he had never expected to be brought to Skyworld and then be taken care of. He was expecting somebody to come tell him that he was going to be executed, or to bring him to a dungeon, or something.

But the day went by, with Pit continuing to keep him company and bring him food. Anxiously asking if he was feeling alright, or if he needed Lady Palutena to help him. Fluffing his pillows before leaving him alone for the night.

The next morning, Pittoo got up early before Pit. He was still injured, but he could walk and so he snuck outside, fully intending to leave. He wanted to be back on his own, he didn't know how to handle all this.

He made the mistake of jumping before trying to move his wings.

Pain shot through them, and he fell, screaming. Dark Pit thought this was the end, but then a beam of light picked him up and deposited him in front of Palutena.

"That probably wasn't your smartest move." she commented, chuckling. She stopped when she heard him groaning in pain.

"Are you ok, Pittoo?"

He glanced at her, then looked away. She watched him for several moments.

"You're afraid." she observed, and he looked at her in surprise. "You're afraid of me. And you're confused by both myself and Pit."

"I'm not afraid of _shit_!" he blurted out, standing up to look defiant. But this just aggravated his injuries and he fell to the floor again with a cry.

"You need to take it easy, Pittoo.

"My name is Dark Pit!"

"Fine, Dark Pit. I can call Pit out here, he'll help you back to your bed."

"I don't need help from you or him! You're just keeping me here!" he shouted. But she just shook her head.

"You may leave, but you can't. Not until you're healed. Until you are healed, you're welcome to stay here in Skyworld." she offered. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"And what, I have to be your servant in return?" he asked sarcastically. But she shook her head.

"I just ask that you not hurt anybody while you're here."

He blinked. It had not honestly occurred to him. He was here with Pit, and could finish him off... but somehow, he just didn't want to. It's because I need his help, he thought grudgingly. And it was true. He couldn't leave, due to his injuries, and Pit was his ticket to things around here it seemed.

"Alright, but once I'm out of here I do what I want. Deal?"

She smiled in reply, then spoke to thin air.

"Pit?"

There was a pause.

"Yes, it's a little early. I need you to come escort our guest back to his bedroom."

She smiled patiently at Pit's query as to whom she was referring.

"Dark Pit."

He could almost hear Pit's pause, followed by his frantic question as to where he'd gone.

"He found out he can't fly."

He imagined Pit freaking out now.

"It's alright, Pit. I caught him."

Still freaking out.

"Yes, he's fine."

She listened again, then addressed him.

"Good point, you may as well go to breakfast. Dark Pit, is that ok with you?"

"...sure."

"Good. Then Pit will be here shortly. How are you liking your accommodations, Dark Pit?"

He was not expecting the question, but answered truthfully.

"It's nice. The food's really good, too."

She took a moment to look him over again.

"You're thinner than Pit. What do you do to eat, if I may ask."

He folded his arms around himself and looked away briefly.

"I've... gone to human towns some days."

"And?" she prompted, already knowing the answer.

"I sometimes steal something." he admitted.

"Nothing else?" she asked. Dark Pit grimaced.

"I hunt, but only when I can't get something off the humans. I... don't really like it." was all he would say.

"So you don't get very much."

He didn't respond, but his demeanor and appearance suggested that she was spot on.

"Well, you're welcome to eat as much as you want while you're here. Heaven knows Pit has an enormous appetite. If you're anything like him, you need a lot too."

"Why are you helping me?" he blurted out. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around this kindness he was being shown.

"First, you have Pit to thank for being alive. When you fell unconscious in the Lunar Sanctum, he started fluttering over you, asking if you were alright. He didn't want to hurt you!"

And Dark Pit couldn't say he was surprised anymore.

"He asked me to bring you here, so I did. I thought he might be right about you."

"What about me?"

"That you're not really evil. And I do believe he's right."

And Dark Pit didn't know what to think. Before he could respond, Pit's quick footsteps came into the temple.

"Pittoo! Why would you try to leave?! We were just starting to get to be friends, and-"

"Alright, let's get this straight. We're not friends." he cut in, and was surprised when Pit looked genuinely disappointed.

"Oh... I thought... yesterday... well, anyway. It's breakfast time. What do you like better, pancakes or waffles?"

He began to drag his twin away, stopping and apologizing profusely when Pittoo stumbled and fell.

"Idiot, I can't walk very well! Thanks to you!" he accused, causing Pit more distress.

"Well- what did you expect me to do, Pittoo? You started the fight!"

"I expected you to die, moron." he snapped. He expected Pit to get mopey, but to his surprise Pit's face hardened.

"No you didn't."

Dark Pit looked up, his mouth open slightly. Palutena was nodding slightly, having come to the same conclusions herself the day before.

"Yes I did. I went there to murder you, angel." he said gruffly, trying to distance himself from Pit by not using his name.

"No. You came to fight, but not to kill me." Pit clarified.

"Dude, if it weren't for that stupid core you would have been dead."

"You mean the core you warned me against, or remember when you refused to hit me when I was down? You're not really a bad person, Pittoo."

"Keep calling me that and I will become one."

"See? You're not even denying it!" Pit exclaimed. Dark Pit's mouth opened to protest, but then he found that he couldn't.

"Just... stop it. You said something about food?"

His teeth were clenched, showing that the topic was closed. Pit was about to retort, but thought better of it.

"Yeah... c'mon, I'll help you out there."

"I don't need your help. Just show me where to go."

Pit's shoulders sagged at the refusal, but he didn't show his feelings otherwise. Dark Pit slowly followed him out of the room and refused to speak with Pit the whole way, although he couldn't stop staring when Pit gave him food. Later, he ordered Pit out of his room and spent alot of time brooding and being aloof.

Over the next few days, he would hardly speak to Pit at all, and refused to even see Palutena. Pit was getting more and more discouraged as time went on, and his hope of being friends with his dark clone dwindled as Pittoo's wings grew stronger. Pit began going out on missions to save towns from Hades' wrath, coming back tired and going straight to bed.

Pittoo started listening in on Pit's missions, although he remained in the shadow at the doorway. Palutena smiled at him, but he never came closer. He did watch and listen closely, and found himself silently rooting for Pit, or feeling slightly cocky that _his_ counterpart could kick ass so effectively. Eventually, he came to decide that having Pit as his original wasn't the worst thing in the world. Although he still wouldn't interact with anybody much, Pit felt the shift in his twin's estimation of him, and it did cheer him.

Then one day, Pit was talking to Palutena during a mission when he was cut off with an awful gurgle. Palutena, for the first time, looked frantic. She called Pit back right away.

Pit was lying on the floor, blood pouring out of his chest. He kept coughing up blood and sometimes would squeak a little in pain. Of course he was in pain. The wound was terrible, but Palutena looked over him very quickly, then picked him up herself and placed him in a hot spring that was there for this purpose. It was excellent at stemming blood loss. She summoned her staff, and a glow appeared around it and the injury.

Dark Pit was stunned. It had all happened so fast, he could hardly comprehend what had happened. Now he'd refused Pit's company for days, but he had to know...

"Is he going to live?" Pittoo asked, almost inaudibly from the doorway.

"Yes, yes. He'll be fine." came the distracted answer. Although she was covered in the light angel's blood as she worked on him, she seemed quite confident that Pit was going to live. Pittoo decided to accept this, and left to go to his own room.

Later, he heard movement in Pit's room and knew he was being put to bed. After everyone left, Pittoo quietly left his room and entered Pit's.

His counterpart was unconscious, pale, but breathing. Pittoo found himself breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing Pit for himself, although he hardly knew why.

Perhaps they'd been right. He didn't really want to see the other angel dead.

But what did that leave him? He felt lost. He didn't know what to do with himself now that he didn't want to kill Pit.

The next day, he did something unexpected: Dark Pit visited Pit in his sickbed. And when Pit's face lit up at his appearance, something in him melted a little.

"What was it that hurt you, Pit?" he asked at one point. When Pit explained it was Underworld monsters, he filed that information away. He felt an unexplainable urge to go out and beat those monsters to a pulp. And as Pit chattered away happily, he made a decision.

Later, he flexed his wings and did a few experimental flaps. His wings were fully healed. Sure enough, he could fly again.

That night, he left. He dropped a black feather on his twin's bedside table on his way out, then he went looking for the nearest Underworld monsters as soon as he got the the Overworld. He spent hours just hacking away at them, feeling more and more satisfied with each dead monster.

_Nobody_ killed or hurt Pit. Nobody but him. Dark Pit would make sure of that. He still didn't know what to do about Pit, or exactly how he felt. But there was no doubt in his mind that somehow, that obnoxious light angel belonged to him. He wasn't going to let anybody take that away from him.


End file.
